


fire and ice

by rewrite_a_million_dreams



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drabble, Fire Powers, Ice Powers, M/M, Opposites Attract, be on the look out yall, but im a sucker for this au, its gonna get angsty in other stories too, this is so self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 20:22:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17128121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rewrite_a_million_dreams/pseuds/rewrite_a_million_dreams
Summary: they decide that they are each worth the discomfort that comes with being together.





	fire and ice

**Author's Note:**

> ok this isnt rlly a fic but rather an explanation for an au that has been talked about !! i'm going to be posting some related stories hopefully here shortly!

fire and ice. two extremes, two polar opposites, yet they go together hand in hand.

phillip and phineas are those two extremes.

phillip carlyle. he is the son of a wealthy family. a family made of the "pure" ones- the clean ones, the cold ones. their words cut like knives while their stare chills you to the bone. they are the icy few, the class of individuals with striking blue eyes, fair complexions, and frosty finger tips. phillip is ethereal. his sharp, high cheekbones are highlighted with ever present frost, which glimmers in the soft moonlight on a late winter night. he is freezing to the touch, can make frost appear with a simple glance, and is unfortunately fragile, cracking and breaking in on himself at the end of every bad day. phillip is ice. he is the storm that freezes everything in its path.

he hates it.

phineas taylor barnum. he is the son of a tailor, who barely made enough money to keep them alive. they were both poor. dirty. dangerous. they cared too much, were too passionate about everything. they were both belonging to fire. when phineas's father died, he felt a pain like no other, and his hands had bursted into flames. he thought he was a monster, a terrifying creature- but he was only too young to know what was going on truly. phineas is rough. he is calloused hands, charred clothing, and heat radiating in a room. his eyes have a fiery passion in them. the flames he can produce with his fingertips are magnificent, warm, inviting- but also dangerous. he is a wildfire of ideas and innovations, a forest burning in on himself. 

he hates it.

but,

they are not the only ones.

phillip has been sheltered his whole life, as his parent's way of 'protecting' him from the outside. phillip is still so young, still uncontrollable, and still terrifying. he is cold. he only ever went out when necessary during the warmer months, he was just barely allowed to go outside during autumn, and he had free reign during winter, of course. winter was safe. calming. quiet.

others like him, who have striking blue eyes, a pale, frosty complexion and such a low temperature were almost always part of wealthy families. they were seen as more important, because of their beauty and 'fragility' (though, phillip never liked the term), and were always kept 'safe' like phillip was, locked away from the dangers of the outside world. the wealthy families were at the top of the list, with their chilly demeanor and less than ideal parenting styles.

middle class are, of course, the people who had nothing of the sort, aka the regular humans. joining them would be those who were more accustomed to water, with a wild side that couldn't tamed and moods that changed with the tides. they were floods of emotions, and abundant life. they could manipulate the rivers, lakes, and oceans. they held their breath for hours at a time. they matched very well with those who changed with the seasons- more in tune with nature, and the ever changing forces that came with it, who always seemed very down to earth. softer, and more carefree. these were able to control it. they could make a full grown tree pop up in busy New York, could make flowers bloom even on top of the tallest buildings. 

however, the people like phineas- the ones with a fierce fire in their eyes, the ones who simply could not be kept still, the ones who would never be contained- they were on the lower end of the spectrum. they're seen as destructive, dangerous, and untrustworthy. they are total opposites from all of the others, and maybe that is why Phineas intrigues Phillip so much. he is supposed to be dangerous, hot headed, rude, and terrifying. he is to be the fire that starts small, and grows into roaring flames that suck you in, yet phineas is nothing of the sort. he is the warmth of a fireplace near Christmas time. he is the sun beating down in the summer, bringing light to every room. he is perfect. 

they start small, with talking to one another, being around each other. before long, they are getting used to touches. holding on to each other's pinkie fingers. maybe brushing a hand on a cheek. slowly working their way up to hugging, if only for a few moments. 

fire hurts phillip and ice makes phineas feel sick.

they decide that they are each worth the discomfort that comes with being together.


End file.
